Garage-door opener



M. J. LEWIS GARAGE DOOR OPENER April 21, 1931.

Filed March S51I 1925 3 Shee"csa-Sheet4 l Uhr ,las 44/22 April 2l, 1931. M. J. LEWIS GARAGE DOOR OPENER Filed March 51, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet, 2

April 2l, 1931- M. J. LEwls 1,802,027

GAR AGE DOOR OPENER Filed March 31. 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet, 3

I 1.: D www "W E f 2in/UWM Patented Apr. 2l, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MORGAN J'. LEWIS, OF MASSILLON, OHIO GARAGE-DOOR OPENER Application filed March 31, 1925.

This invention relates to power operated door openers and more particularly to electrically operated mechanism for opening and closing garage doors and similar structures of such size and Weight as to make manual operation thereof diiicult.

The objects of the invention are to provide a motor operated device arranged to open and close the doors, and including means for automatically stopping the motor when the doors reach the fully opened or fully closed position, a reversing switch being automatically operated by the motor to automaticall reverse the motor with each operation of t e mechanism; to provide means for holding the doors locked in the closed position; and to generally improve and simplify devices of this character.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in

Which- Figure 1 is a top plan view of a pair of double hinged doors provided with the improved door opening and closing mechanisln;v

Fig. 2, a fragmentary elevation oi the inside of the doors and door opening device;

Fig. 3, an enlarged section, taken substantially on the line 3-3, Fig. 1;

Fig. 4, a section taken on the line 4 4, Fig. 3;

Fig. 5, a plan View of the switch:

Fig. 6, a sectional View of a portion of the automatic switch operating mechanism;

Fig. 7, a top plan view of a swinging door embodying the invention Fig. 8, a top plan View of a sliding door to which the invention is applied; and

Fig. 9, an elevation of the upper portion of the door illustrated in Fig. 8.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

The inve'ntion is adaptable to use upon any usual type of garage doors, such as the double-hinged doors 1-1, shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the swinging door 2, in Fig. 7, or the sliding door 3, in Figs. 8 and 9.

The motor 4 is mounted in a suitable position adjacent to the door opening, and preferably near the top of the doors. as a bracket 5, the shaft 6 thereof having a pinion Serial No. 19,611.

7 fixed thereon and meshing with a gear 8 fixed upon the shaft 9, which is journaled through the gear housing 10.

A short shaft 11 is journaled in the gear housing and provided with a gear 12 mesh- 55 ing With the gear 8. A screw shaft, normally parallel to the normal closed plane ot' the door, is connected to the shaft 11, for operating the door, the connection of this screw shaft being slightly different for the several types ot doors, as Will be hereinafter described.

The switch for reversing the motor is mounted upon au insulation block 13 Which muy be carried upon the bracket 14, supported from tht` gear housing 10. One line Wire 15 is connected to the th ree-Way switch 16, placed in a convenient location to be manually operated and the other line Wire 17 is connected to the terminal 18 upon the block 13.

A terminal 19 is mounted upon the block 13 and extends above and in vertical aline- ]uent with the terminal 19, and is connected by a wire 20 with the three-way switch, thi` wire 21 connecting the three-way switch with 75 a terminal 22, similar to the terminal 19, upon the block 13.

A terminal 23, similar to the terminal 18, is located beneath the terminal 22. and is connected by a bus-har or the like as indicated at 2i. with the terminal 25, similar to the terminals 19 and 22. and located between the same.

The terminal 23, is connected as at 26 With a terminal 2T upon the opposite side of the block and similar to the terminals 19 and 22. 85 A terminal 2R similar to the terminal 18, is located beneath the terminal 2T. and connected as by the bus-bar 29 With the terminal 22.

A pair of terminals 30 and 31 are located 90 upon the .same side of the block with` the terminal 27 and are of a construction similar to the terminal 27. excepting that each is provided ncar its lower end With a contact lip 32 for engagement With the switch blade as will be later described.

The terminals 27. 2S, 30 and 31 are connected by the wires 33 with the motor in the usual manner to provide for reversing the motor when the switch is reversed.

Cil

An inverted U-shaped bracket 34, is mounted upon the switch blork between the sets of terminals above described. and is provided with dependingV arms 35 in which are journaled the end portions ot' the Switch arm Bti which is provided with a Crank portion 37 vonnerted-'hv a (-oil springl 38 with the lower end of the halt' round portion 39 ot the Asu'itrh lever il() which is pivoted upon the ear 41, formed upon the top ol' the bracket 34. :t longitudinal slot l2 being4 provided in the brarlret to permit movement ot the lever.

Three switch blades 453 are fixed at their ventral portions upon the switch arm 3G and provided with the bitureated extremities 44 tor enpzui'einent with the various terminals.

,l screw shaft l5 is alined with the shaft l) and fixe-d thereto in any suitable manner. and extends outward toward the lever l0. The nut lo is mounted upon the `screw shaft and provided with a reduced. externally threaded neel( 47. upon Which are mounted a pair of ad jus-ting nuts 18, between which is clamped the depending arm 4:9 of the slotted bar 50, the switch lever 40 extending through the longitudinal slot 51 therein.

ln Figs. 1 and 2 the double hinged doors 1v1 are Shown hinged at each side of the door opening; as indicated. at 522. a door l being hinged to the free edge of each door l as indieated at 53. rlhe tree edge ot each door 1" is provided with a pin or roller 5l slidably located in an angular Channel 55 whereby when the doors 1 are swung Vopen upon their hinges, the doors 1a Will he Jfolded haelt, upon their hinges. toward the doors l, as shown in dotted lines iu Figs. 1 and 2.

lu order to operato doorsfot this character hv means o'f the improved door opener, a hi'arfket 5G is mounted upon earh of the doors l. anda nut 5T is universally pivoted thereon. A universal joint is mounted u ion each end of the shaft 11` and a` threaded shaft 59 ronnccted to each ot said universal joints and loeated through the adjacent nut 57. l

To operate a swinging door as shown 1n Fig. 7, the nut 57 is universally mounted upon one arm ot a bell crank 60, which is pivoted upon the door trame, the other arm thereof being connected by a link 431 With the swinging door 2. It Will be understood that it' double swingingr doors are used, this mechanism will be duplicated.

In applying the invention to a sliding door, the screw 59 is rigidly connected to the shaft 1l, in alinement therewith, and located through a nut 57, rigidly mounted upon the sliding door 3, the end ot' the screw being preferably journaled at its outer end in a bearing 62 upon the door frame.

Assuming the doors to be in closed position, as illustrated, in order to start the motor to open the doors, the three-Way Switch 16e is manually operated, completing the circuitV to the motor and starting the same, to

Iswitch lever 40 back to the first`position-,nas

rotated in a` direction to move the nut 46 to- VWard the outer end of the same,feerryiing with it the slotted bar 50. This'bar will'. swing the switch. lever 40 upon its pivot until the same passes over the center, when the spring 38 will snap the switeh arm 36 into the opposite position, stopping the motor as the doors reach the fully open position.

Then the parts are in this position` the doors may be closed by again operatingr the three-Way switch. the reversingVV switch lbeing in reverso position` causing' the motor torotate in the reverse direction.` moving the nuts 57 inward upon the threaded shafts 59 to close the doors.

At the same time, the nut 4G will be moved backward upon the screw 45, and the slotted bar 50 thereon Will operate to throw the shown in Fig. 3, stopping; the Ymotoras the a0 doors reach the closed position.

It will be seen that with the `dtoors in. the closed position. it will be impossible for them to be opened from the outside by an unauthorized person,` as the nuts-57 or 57a are 95 mounted upon the doors and also upon the z threaded shafts 59 or 593,1makingf it impossible to open the doors Without rotatngthe nuts upon the threaded shafts, which of eoirse cannot be eceomplishedffrom the out-` s'i e.

As shown in Fig'. 7, the switch block 13 may be mounted upon the door frame Vand the slotted bar 50. which operates the'switeh lever, may be connected tothe door as b v the link 63, whereby the switch is operated through the movement of the door.

As shown in Fi ,12s.z8 and 9 the switch block 13 may be mounted upon the door frame or an adjacent portion of the Wall, and the lever 40 thereof operated'by a pair of arms 64 mounted at opposite edge portions of the door whereby the switch is operated., as above described, through the movement of the door.

T claim:-

1. A door operating mechanism including in combination with a. movable door` a motor, a threaded shaft located parallel to'the normal closed plane of the door andop'erativelv connected tothe motor, a nut universally pinioted upon the door and engaging said `t liread ed shaft, a reversing and stopping switch mechanically connected tothe motor and-op-A erated automaticallybv themotor from operating position to reverse position as the doorY reaches the fully opened or fully closed position, and aA manually operatediswiteh connected to the reversing switch-*for vstartingthe motor Whenthe door is in either position; f

lUU

2. A door operating mechanism including-13'0- 1n combination with a movable door, a motor, a threaded shaft located parallel to the normal closed plane of the door and operatively connected to the motor through a universal joint, a` nut. universally pivoted upon the door und engaging said threaded shaft, :i reversing and stopping switch mechaniually connected to the motor and operated automatically by the motor from operating position to reverse position as the door reaches the fully opened or fully closed position, and a manually operated switch connected to the reversing switch for starting the motor when the door is in either position.

In testimony that I claim the above, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

MORGAN J. LEWIS. 

